Abstract

The paper, starting from the consideration of the main literature on sustainable tourism, is focalized on the analysis of sustainable tourism demand in developed countries. In previous studies, the research group has identified the framework of "4L Tourism", an emerging form of tourism that synthesizes the main tourist motivations in four assets (Landscape, Leisure, Learning, Limit), which require specific tourist offer and products. The paper is based on a field research carried out in Italy on CTS travellers. The research, deliberately aimed to a tourist population with specific behavioural and motivational features, allowed to study in deep the importance of the "4L Tourism" dimensions, highlighting the possibility to graduate the sensibility of tourists in respect with the single dimensions. Coherently with a significant stream of literature on sustainable tourism demand, the analysis enabled to identify two profiles ("4L Tourist hard-path" and " 4L Tourist soft-path") in relation to the intensity of the motivation and to the importance of the single component of the trip. The results of the research permitted, from a managerial point of view, to assess the expectations and the behaviours of "4L Tourists", in order to set up the tourist offer of tourist destinations and organisations, allowing them to follow an emerging global trend in the market with appropriate strategies.